REGION: Report lists top waste items at beaches

SAN DIEGO ---- Cigarette butts and pieces of Styrofoam and
plastic continue to be the top waste items discarded at beaches in
San Diego County, according to a report released Monday.

The 2010 Beach Cleanup Data report was put together by two
environmental organizations, San Diego Coastkeeper and the
Surfrider Foundation.

Volunteers at twice-monthly beach cleanups are asked to keep
detailed records of the trash they remove, and the information is
compiled into the report.

Cigarette butts continue to be among the most prevalent items of
trash found ---- about 42,000 were picked up last year ---- but the
total dropped some from 2009, according to the report.

The amount of Styrofoam pieces found on area beaches more than
doubled from around 12,000 in 2009 to 25,000 last year.

More than 70,000 pieces of "other plastics" were reported by
volunteers. Six of the top 10 collected items were composed of
plastic, a concern becauseit floats on water and degrades very
slowly.

"We presented this data to the city of San Diego last week and
asked council members to not spend taxpayer money on single-use
plastic water bottles and Styrofoam food containers, which harm our
environment," said Alicia Glassco, San Diego Coastkeeper's
education and marine debris manager.

About 9,000 plastic bottle caps were picked up before they could
be eaten by sea birds.

On the less common side, items found included an electronic
keyboard, a conveyor belt and a soup ladle.

Including cleanup events by I Love a Clean San Diego and other
organizations, nearly 40,000 volunteers collected about 635,000
pounds of trash from San Diego waterways and coastal beaches in
2010, according to the report.